July now target for Ruby Pipeline approval

Cheyenne, Wyo. – Construction of a $3 billion gas pipeline from Wyoming to Oregon has been pushed back amid work to protect cultural sites and endangered species.

The 42-inch Ruby Pipeline will run 675 miles from Opal in western Wyoming to Malin, Ore., crossing Utah and Nevada along the way.

El Paso Corp. initially hoped to begin work this spring. The BLM says it hopes to approve the project in early July, after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission works out agreements with each state along the route to protect historic and culturalsites. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service meanwhile is working on a plan to protect endangered species.

An El Paso spokesman says he hopes the project can begin as soon as possible.